Game apparatus.



G. A. ONEIL.

GAMB APPARATUS.

APPLIoATIoN FILED 2212.28, 1919.

0. 1 9 nl n0, t. p 8 S nu 6 t n .mbv na DL GEORGE A. ONEIL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 6, 1910.

Application led. February 28, 1910. Serial No. 546,412.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. ONEIL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to game apparatus, and the object of my invention is the production of an apparatus of the character mentioned adapted for employment in the playing of golf indoors.

A further object is the provision of a game apparatus as mentioned whereby the ordinary game of outdoor golf may be so played indoors that as much skill, accuracy, and judgment may be displayed by the player in the striking of the ball as is displayed when engaging in the game upon golf links A still further object is the provision of a golf game apparatus where y accurate scores by the players will be derived'during the course of the playing and whereby the final and more scientic points of the game such as apparently are incident only to playing upon golf links will be preserved.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

With these objects 1n view my invention consists in a game apparatus characterized as above mentioned and in certain details of construction and arrangementof parts all as will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

' My invention will be more readily understood by reference to the` accompanying drawing forming a part of' this speclfication and wherein the preferred form of employment of my apparatus is illustrated in perspective. Q

Referrin now to the drawing, 1 indicates a rectangulgar sheet formed preferably of a durable, flexible or liant textile such as canvas, duck or the li e. Said sheet is suitably suspended, preferably by means. of straps 2, so as to hang loosely in a vertlcal plane. The lower edge thereof extends to the floor or round and to which it is suitably secure preferably by tacks 3 as shown. Formed in said sheet is a plurality of pockets, preferably seven in number, designated as' 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 7 and 8. Said pockets as seen are comparatively shallow eachhaving a spacious preferablyv rectangular mouth opening at the front side of the sheet. The mouths of the pockets 4 and 5 and 4"and 5 are of equal dimensions, the pockets 4 and 5 being arranged at one side of the vertical center line of said sheet in the same relative position thereto as the pockets 4 and 5 are at the other side of said llne. The space intervening said pocketsis occupied by the vertically alining pockets 6, 7 and 8, which are of substantially equal dimensions. Thus the pocket 7 is arranged centrally in the sheet 1 with the pockets 6 and 8 arranged at the same relative positions above and below the same, and with the pockets 4 and 5 and 4 and 5 at similar lateral positions relative thereto. The mouth edges of said pockets are preferabl reinforced by an edging or tape 9.

Arranged upon the floor or ground centrally forward of the sheet 1 at a suitable distance therefrom is a mat 10 designed to serve as a tee. Provided at one side of the mat 10 is another mat 11 of frictional material, preferably rubber, upon which the player may stand when striking the ball from the tee. Arranged forward of the sheet 1, preferably to one side, is a relatively long narrow carpet or strip 12. Provided centrally at the forward end of said carpet is a hole 13 of a diameter the same as that of the regulation golf hole. Said hole registers with a recess of corresponding diameter provided in the floor. The hole 13 is so arranged that the distance between the same and the forward end of the carpet is equal to the distance from the edge of the green of a regulation golf links to the hole provided at the center thereof.y In order to completel imitate the regulation golf links green sai carpet is preferably covered with la thin la er of oiled sand.

Print in the bottom of each of the pockets 4, 4, 5, 5', 6, 7 and 8 so as to 'be clearly readable from any point in front of the sheet 1 is a number of directions in which are enumerated all of the golf clubs orsticks opposite each of whlch 1s designated' yards,-Mashie within 10 yards, and Dead, the lettering in each ofthe other pockets being in substance the saine as this except that in lieu of the word Dead, in the remaining pockets is a' direction calling for a Putt. For instance, in pockets 4:' and 4 a two yard putt is directed.

The game is played as follows: A certain golf course is first decid'fd on, thatis the number of holes to be played and thc distances. between the succeeding holes. rlhe same are jotted down for inspection by the players. The players now successively play one hole at a time, that is, eachplayer is required, by means of one of the golf sticks to strike the ball from the teeing mat toward the sheet l. The dist-ance it is desired to drive the ball will, it is evident, be the guiding factor in the determination by the layer of the stick proper for him to use in the striking of the ball, and the proper pocket into which he should strive to drive the same. For instance, say the distance between two holes is 420 yards. A player properly using the driver will endeavor to strike the ball from the teeing mat so as to land the samein the pocket 7. If successful this would count as indicated, 200 yards for him. I-Ie would then, properly, with the aid of the brassie, endeavor to again land the ball in the same pocket, since this would count 190 yards more for him, making a total ofl 890 yards. Hence he has but 30 yards left to go to reach his imaginary objective hole. By examination it will be seen that the proper play for him now would be to endeavor, by means of the mashie, to drive the ball into the pocket 6, said pocket by reason ofthe direction Mashie within 30 yards found therein qualifying the same for employment under existing conditions z. e. with the ball within 30 yards of the objective hole. If-successful, the player as required by the directions in said pocket, is required to putt the ball one yard, that is, the ball will be placed upon the green, that is the carpet 12, Within one yard of the hole and by means of the putter the player will endeavor to putt the same intol the hole. A memorandum of the number of strokes made in traveling the imaginary distance between the holes is kept. Thus eachplayer pursues the same routine. The object of the game of' golf being, as is known, to travel the distance between the successive holes and consequently to complete the course in the least number ofv strokes, the scores of the players are compared upon completing the course previously decided on, and the one having the least number of strokes to his credit Wins. The strokes consumed by the players between the successive holes may also be compared, in which event, the one Winning out at the greatest number of holes will be the winner.

In the foregoing I have described the cours:` of an entirely successful play. It is nudi-1 stood however that the player may not always be successful in attempting to drive the ball into a certain pocket. If he fails and enters another pocket, the score there designated for use with the particular stick employed by him, which score will necessarily be of less value, will be counted for him. The illustrated and described arrangement of the pockets was determined through experirnent, so that if the game is properly played in the greater majority of instances it will be found that the scores made, that is the imaginary distances traversed, as indicated by the directions in the pockets would, if playing upon a golf links, actually have been made by the player.

The putting at the conclusion of play for a hole is identical with the outdoor putting, the carpet 12 being, as before described, constructed to imitate as nearly as possible the green upon a links. In pocket 7 the direction Dead following iie words Mashie within 10 yards occurs. By this is meant that if a player is within 10 yards of a hole and he successfully delivers the ball on his next stroke into the pocket 7 using the mashie, the ball will be dead, that is he will be excused from putting into the hole, he be- 9 ing only required to count an additional stroke for it.

' Other details regarding the playing are obvious from the apparatus itself as clisclosed in the drawing in conjunction with the foregoing, hence no further elucidation is thought necessary to the full understanding of the ame. By the provision of an apparatus o a construction as set forth, one of neat and pleasing appearance, of durable and economlcal construction, and of greateiiciency in serving as an apparatus for playing indoor golf will be provided.

While I have shown what I deem to be the preferable form of my apparatus I do not Wish to be limited thereto as there might be various changes made in the details of construction and arrangement of parts described Withoitt departing from the spirit of the invention comprehended within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. The combination in a game apparat-us of a plurality of pockets having their mouths opening in a vertical plane, a ce arranged directly forward of said pockets, and a surface corresponding with the snrface of a green and provided with a hole, substantially as described.

2.'The combination in a game apparatus adapted for employment in the playing of golf, of a vertically disposed sheet, a plurality of adjacently positioned pockets in said sheet opening in the front side thereof, In testimony whereof I have sgne my a, tee arranged directly forward of said name to this specification in the presence of -sheet and at a dlstance therefrom, mad a two Subscrlblng Wltnesses.

surface corresponding to the suiaee of a GEORGE A. ONEIL. green and formed 1n lmltatlon thereof, Wltnesses: surface bemg prov1ded Wlth a hoi@j subean- HELEN F. LILLIS,

tilly as described. I JOSHUA R. H. POTTS. 

